The present invention relates to space position indicators and has particular reference to optical devices therefor.
There is an urgent need in many fields for apparatus which will provide accurate measurement of the position of a point in space with respect to a reference. Such a system should possess high resolution capability in determining point coordinates, high frequency response to determine transient phenomena and the ability to generate signal data outputs in real time.
Intended applications are many and varied, all with the need for a precise measurement of spatial point position. Examples are flutter and buffet analysis of aircraft, structural load determination, flight test instrumentation, recovery and docking aids, landing aids, surveying, collision avoidance systems, flexure evaluation of bridges, navigation instruments and so on.
Consider now the example of the measurement of aircraft wing deflections while in flight and the presently available methods therefor. The use of strain gages is limited by wing materials and structural designs, which despite large wing deflections may yield low, non-repeatable strain levels. Accelerometers are not suitable for steady state or low frequency wing deflections. Cinematographic techniques are inadequate from a resolution and accuracy standpoint and are often employed as a qualitative tool only.
The present invention is designed to fill this technical void. The system employing the electro-optic sensor yields real time quantitative data with an accuracy equal to or better than that obtained by either strain gage or accelerometer systems while retaining the reliability and design versatility inherent with cinematographic/videographic target tracking systems.